In Anderson, fatalities down on one of SC's deadliest roads. DOT not declaring victory, yet

While both the state Highway Patrol and Department of Transportation are reluctant to draw any conclusions yet, fatal accidents are down on U.S. 29 for 2018 following a series of improvements.(Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)

The most dangerous section of U.S. 29, between Anderson and Interstate 85, appears to have gotten a little safer in 2018.

Preliminary data from the state Highway Patrol show that the road, which state Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall identified as one of the state's two most dangerous in July 2017, recorded three fatal crashes in the first 49 weeks of the year.

That compares with seven fatalities in 2017, and an average of 5.3 fatalities since 2012.

The numbers are encouraging to the state Department of Transportation, which has made improvements on the 14-mile, often two-lane stretch of rural road in the past year, and to the state Highway Patrol, which typically investigates accidents.

DOT Safety Engineer Brett Harrelson said his department will study numbers for at least three years before making conclusions, but the early figures reflect "our confidence that the measures we're taking will reduce fatalities.

"We've probably done the most on (U.S.) 29 in 2018 than any other road. We were fortunate that the district had some crews in place for work that was already scheduled, and we were able to do more than normal in the first year," Harrelson said.

The most dramatic change is the "clear zone," which requires cutting trees within 30 feet of the road and in some cases 60 feet. The distance varies based on several factors, Harrelson said, such as traffic volumes, speed and roadside slopes.

Joe Hovis of the South Carolina Highway Patrol was also reluctant to draw conclusions about the decline in fatalities but said "better visibility in any situation is a good thing."

Starting in 2016, the DOT began cutting back trees along the shoulder to give drivers who veer off the road more time to recover and potentially avoid collisions. Clearing along the deadliest section of U.S. 29, between I-85 and Welcome Road, was completed earlier this year.

The tree removal was also seen as a way to reduce auto-deer collisions, which in recent years have been higher in Anderson County than any other county in the state.

"It seems that deer can be an elusive creature — except when cars are involved," Hovis said. "At certain times of the year, they go wherever they want, and they'll do that whether the trees are close to the road or not. But I suppose the tree reduction can give a driver a little more time to see them."

In the five-year period from 2012 through 2016, 23 people died on U.S. 29 — the highest fatality count in Anderson County, even though Clemson Boulevard and Pearman Dairy Road had more traffic and more collisions and injuries, according the state Department of Public Safety.

In 2017, the road was the fifth-highest in the county for collisions and for injuries, but the highest for fatalities, with seven reported that year.

Through Dec. 7 of this year, the number of collisions on U.S. 29 stood at 304 — down from 347 in 2017 — and total injuries were at 132, down from 161 in 2017.

More improvements are planned in 2019 for U.S. 29, which is used by about 13,000 vehicles per day. DOT District 2 administrator Kevin McLaughlin said additional tree clearing is likely — the goal is 50 feet of clearance on each side of the road.

The next section of 29 to be cleared will be between Welcome Road and Snow Road, according to the DOT's 10-year plan.

The next phase of tree removal along U.S. 29 will extend from Welcome Road to Snow Road. The state Department of Transportation is creating the "clear zone" to give drivers who veer off the road more distance to recover and potentially avoid a collision.(Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff)

Resurfacing is also planned. Other possibilities, McLaughlin said, are wider paved shoulders, enhancements for rumble strips, and new or upgraded guardrails.

Tyke Redfearn, a DOT project engineer, said more improvements on the road perimeter are planned throughout the region.

"We know that improvement on the shoulders can decease accidents," Redfearn said.

In addition, at least two intersections on U.S. 29 are scheduled for redesign next year. The Old Williamston Road intersection, near the Anderson Jockey Lot, will be reconfigured, as will a troublesome intersection at Business 29. Both have high accident rates.

Over the past two years, U.S. 29 has recorded 10 fatalties, second only to I-85, which had 11 fatalities in Anderson County. By comparison, there were six each on Clemson Boulevard and Pearman Dairy Road.

During the same period, U.S. 29 ranked third for fatalities behind two highways in Greenville County. White Horse Road was the site of 22 fatalities in 2017-2018, and U.S. 276, which stretches from Simpsonville to Caesar's Head, recorded 15 deaths.